The urgent request for the official escort service for Carles Puigdemont has been blocked for more than 500 days at the State Attorney’s Office, after the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, requested a report to the legal services of the State before deciding on its processing. Despite the fact that several police sources agree to point out that the risk of aggression against the former president has increased after announcing that part of his electoral campaign will be held near Catalonia, the Spanish Government is in no hurry to speed up the resolution of the report of the Advocacia – which was already pronounced in 2018 against the protection service -, according to ministerial sources.
The escort request has been sleeping in a drawer of the State Attorney’s Office since mid-November. At that time, the PSOE and Junts were negotiating the investiture of Pedro Sánchez as Prime Minister, with the violent protests in Ferraz as a backdrop. The threatening messages against the leaders of the two parties had multiplied following the agreement on the Amnesty law. The head of Puigdemont’s office, Josep Lluís Alay, again asked for escorts for the former president due to the increase in “danger” and “the risk to his person”. Interior had no plans to move any tiles. Until the then Acting Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, entered the scene, who assured RAC1 that the department headed by Marlaska would give the green light to the request.
After that announcement, which a trusted person had to recognize as the result of an error by the minister, councilor Joan Ignasi Elena asked by letter the former magistrate of the National Court to process the request. Since it is a personal protection service in a third country, it would be Belgium that would have to authorize it, but before that it is up to Interior to make the request. And this is the procedure that Marlaska has never agreed to do. Nor did he plan to do it that Wednesday in November, despite the fact that Bolaños opened the ban. The head of the Interior completely refused to sign the document. Therefore, what was thought was to request a report without deadlines from the Bar, which depends on the Ministry of Justice.
In 2018, Puigdemont was refused escort service on the grounds that he did not exercise any State authority and was, moreover, a fugitive from justice. The Barcelona Court sentenced former Interior Minister Miquel Buch to four and a half years in prison for appointing a police officer as a trusted officer to escort the former president. That is why the current councilor has insisted on it on numerous occasions through the appropriate channels. In person, it was at the beginning of the year. On January 9, Elena moved to Madrid to hold a meeting with Marlaska, in which it was agreed to hold the Catalan Security Council, which was ultimately canceled due to the advance of the election. According to sources familiar with the meeting, Elena brought up the matter in the conversation because “he was obliged to” and to the same extent the minister replied that they were “pending the report”. And folded into that uncomfortable topic for both of us. The meeting continued in a “very cordial” tone.
What none of the parties counted on is the electoral advance, which has increased the risk for Puigdemont as head of the list. Even more so when numerous meetings will be held a few kilometers from the border.
“At a time of great polarization and political tension, operationally a candidate must have a good security device”, acknowledges a police source, who asks to leave aside if he has an open judicial process. Another agent who has participated in electoral campaigns describes it as “nonsense” that “whoever” the candidate for an autonomous community does not have official protection. These are the arguments that once again led the councilor to request processing. Despite this, the last missive has not even received a response from the head of the Interior. Until yesterday, just a simple proof of receipt.
